Tie up loose ends, review performance, and prepare for a successful Q4.
As the summer winds down and attention turns toward back-to-school, seasonal promotions, and year-end goals, marketers have a golden opportunity: the chance to reset, refocus, and get ahead of Q4.
August and early September are ideal months for tying up loose ends, optimising what’s already in motion and laying the foundation for a strong finish to the year. To help you hit the ground running, we’ve put together a smart and simple end-of-summer checklist to keep your digital strategy sharp and future-ready.
Review Campaign Performance YTD
Start with what matters most: results. Use this transitional period to evaluate how your campaigns have performed across all channels so far this year.
What to review:
- Top-performing content and ad creatives
- Underperforming channels or tactics
- Engagement and conversion trends by quarter
- Customer acquisition cost vs. lifetime value
Action: Identify what’s working, pause what’s not, and build your Q4 strategy around proven winners.
Update Your SEO and Website Content
Seasonal changes mean it’s time to update your messaging and site content for relevance. Search intent also shifts in the fall, so align your content now.
Key tasks:
- Refresh product/service pages with autumn messaging
- Remove or update outdated seasonal offers or events
- Optimise new blog posts around Q4 trends and keywords
- Check for broken links, slow pages, or outdated CTAs
Action: Get your SEO in shape before Q4 traffic ramps up—especially for e-commerce or event-heavy businesses.
Audit Your Email Lists and Flows
Email remains one of the highest-ROI channels—but only if your lists are clean and your automation is working correctly.
End-of-summer tasks:
- Remove bounced or inactive addresses
- Segment users for upcoming seasonal campaigns
- Review automated flows like welcome series or cart reminders
- Draft early Q4 promotions (yes, even holiday emails!)
Action: Prepare your lists now to avoid last-minute scrambles during the busy months ahead.
Refresh or Repurpose High-Performing Content
Don’t reinvent the wheel—repurpose it. Look at which blogs, videos, or social posts have performed best and find new ways to reuse them for autumn.
Ideas:
- Turn blog posts into social carousels or short videos
- Update older posts with fresh stats and promote them again
- Create fall-themed versions of successful summer campaigns
- Turn testimonials into user-generated content for Q4
Action: Save time by working smarter—not harder—with content you already own.
Set Q4 Goals and Build a Campaign Calendar
If you haven’t already, now is the time to map out your Q4 marketing calendar. Include key sales dates, content launches, and ad campaigns so your team is aligned and ready.
Include:
- Black Friday/Cyber Monday strategy
- Christmas campaigns and timelines
- Budget allocations by channel
- Key deadlines for content creation and delivery
Action: Give yourself room to adapt, but lock in your foundational plans now.
Final Thoughts: Make Summer’s End, Your Strategic Beginning
The end of summer doesn’t have to mean slowing down. It’s your chance to reset, recharge your strategy, and build momentum heading into Q4. Whether you’re a B2B brand prepping for annual planning or a retailer eyeing holiday revenue, this is the time to get organised and intentional.
Tie up loose ends. Review your performance. And prepare for a strong, strategic finish to the year.
